Switch.



P. E. RICHARDS.

SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED 311N220, 1911.

1 70,533, Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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P. E. RICHARDS.

SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1911.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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P. RICHARDS. SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1911.

1,070,533, Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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FEED STATES PATEN FTQE.

PAUL E. RICHARDS, 0F PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

SWITCH.

Application filed June 20, 1911.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PAUL E. RICHARDS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Placerville, in the county ofEldorado and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway switches, and particularly to thattype employing a movable switching frog as a part of the switchingequipment for directing a train on and off a siding or side track.

To this end the invention contemplates the novel construction of switchwhich entirely obviates the employment of such frogs as are usuallyassociated with the contiguous ends of the tracks, thereby preservingthe continuity of the rails so that a perfectly smooth track is providedfor the train when the switch member is thrown either into engagementwith the siding or main rails.

Another object of the invention is to provide a frog rail comprising arail section of the ordinary construction, the same being pivotallyconnected with one of the ties of the rail whereby it may be swung intoengagement with either the main rail or with the siding rail, the railsection or frog being provided with means whereby the same, when swunginto position with either the ends of the main or siding rails iseffectively locked thereto and a substantially contiguous rail isproduced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch of this classwith switch points which are adapted to overlie the tops of the railmembers when the same are thrown, the device being provided with simpleapparatus whereby upon the swinging of the said switch points the frograil will be moved to the desired position into engagement with eitherthe main or siding rail.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the switch pointswith novel hinging mechanism whereby the rail ends adjacent the switchpoints are efli'ectively braced, the switch points being connectedtogether and the hinge members being so constructed and arranged as toswing the inner switch point concentrically with the pivot point of theouter switch point.

WVith the above, and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription progresses, the invention resides in the novel constructionand arrangement of parts here inafter fully described and claimed.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19,1913.

Serial No. 634,230.

In the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated a simple andpreferred embodiment of the improvement, and in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a railway switch embodying the presentinvention. Fig, 2 is a horizontal sectional View of that portion of thedevice designated by the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asectional view upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. at is a sectional viewupon the line 44; of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional view upon the line 55of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a similar view upon the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7is a similar section upon the line 77 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a horizontalsectional view upon the line 8-8 of Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a detailhorizontal sectional View of the reduced end of one of the switchpoints. Fig. 10 is a detailed sectional view taken in the plane of theoperating lever 23.

In the accompanying drawings the numerals 1 designate the main trackrails, the numerals 2 the siding rails, and the numerals 3 the ties towhich the rails are socured. All of the rail members are constructed inthe ordinary manner, being provided with the usual head, flange andconnecting web and the rails are secured upon the ties 3 through themedium of the usual headed spikes or other analogous devices ifpreferable. hat I term the inner rail member of the rail track 1 is cutaway a suit-- able distance, approximately equaling the distance fromthe center of three of the ties 3 and pivotally connected with theintermediate of these ties is a rail section or frog member 4. This railsection or frog 4 is of the ordinary formation corresponding with therail members 1 and 2, and the said section is centrally provided with ahinge member designated by the numeral 5. This hinge member 5 is of apeculiar construction and is preferably connected with the web of therail section 4 through the medium of removable bolts or other analogousdevices, and the said member 5 extends from each side of the said railor frog member t. The oppositely disposed ears 6 and 7 provided by themember 5 are adapted to rest upon a suitable plate 8 provided by the tiemember upon which the device lies and which is designated by the numeral9. One of the ears 7 is provided with a centrally arranged openingadapted for the reception of a pivot 10, while the opposite ear sectionis provided.

Ltd

with an arcuate slot 11, arranged concentric with the pivot 10 and whichis also adapted for the reception of an upstanding member 12. By thisarrangement it will be noted that when the rail or frog member 4 isrotated upon the pintle 10, the member 12 in connection with the arcuateslot 11 not only serves as an ettective guiding means for the said railsectionv 4 but also serves as a stop to regulate the swing of the saidfrog rail so as to bring the latter directly into alinement with theouter rail sections 2 of the siding. The webs upon the adjacent sidingand main rail sections are each provided with headed studs 13, while thefrog rail 4 is provided upon its web adjacent each of its ends withsliding latch members 14, the same having their outer portionsbifurcated so as to engage the stud of theheaded member 13. The members14 are of substantially rectangular formations and the same are normallyprojected beyond the end of the frog rail 4 through the medium ofsuitable helical springs 15. The web of the frog rail 4 is provided withguide eyes 16, the latter being adapted for the reception of flexibleelements 17 secured to the inner edges of the sliding members 14, andthe said flexible members are adapted to be passed over the oppositespace of a pair of sheave wheels 17 and 18 provided upon the pintle 10,as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The free ends of theseflexible members 17 are connected together as designated by the numeral19, and this connection is passed over a suitable pulley wheel 20provided adjacent the end of the tie 9 and from thence passed throughsuitable guiding eyes 21 carried by the ties 3 and has its extremityconnected with the rotary arm 22 of a switch operating lever 23 which ismounted within a suitable switch stand 24. The arm 22 of the operatinglever 23 is further provided with a pair of offset arms 25 and 26, andconnected with the arm 25 is a longitudinally extending bar 27. The bar27 is preferably constructed of a pair of members, each having theiradjacent ends threaded and the said threaded portions being adapted forthe reception of a. suitable turn buckle 28. The rod 27 is mountedwithin suitable eyes 29 provided by the ties 3 and is also provided witha central guiding eye 30 carried by a suitable support 31. The free endof the rod 27 is connected with one arm 32 of a bell crank lever 33, thelatter being pivoted at its offset to any suitable support and theopposite arm 34 thereof is provided with a transversely extending rod 35which has its free end connected to the web of the frog rail 4 adjacentone of its ends. The rod 35 is also constructed of a pair of members,each of said members having their adjacent end portions threaded andbeing adapted for the reception of a turn buckle 36 whereby the said rodmay be properly adjusted in its connection with the bell crank lever andthe frog rail. By the arrangement just described, it will be noted thatwhen the switch lever 23 is rotated, the flexible member 19 connectedwith the bolt members 14 ot' the frog rail will be operated in unisonwith the rods 27 and The numerals 37 and 38 designate the switch pointsof the device. These switch points are hingedly connected with the endsof the siding or switch rails 2 through the medium of suitable hinges 39and 40, and the said switch points are of a height slightly greater thanthat of the main rails 1, so that the points may be cut away a suitabledistance adjacent their outer edges and allow their recessed heads 41 tooverlie the heads of the rail members 1. The switch points 37 and 38 areconnected together, and retained in proper spaced relation with eachother through the medium of suitable connecting rods 42 and 43. Each ofthe rods 42 and 43 are arranged in pairs, and the said rods have theiradjacent ends threaded and adapted for the reception of suitable turnbuckles 44 whereby the switch points 37 and 38 may be retained inpro-per adjusted position with each other. The rods 42 and 43 have theirouter extremities bent so as to engage the flanges and the webs of theswitch points and these portions of the rod are connected with the saidswitch points through the medium of removable securing members. In orderto tightly engage the switch points upon both of their sides, I haveprovided the inner faces of the said points with additional plates 45which are bent to provide overlying flanges as well as verticalextensions which engage the base flanges and the webs of the saidpoints. The lower portion of the plates 45 are bent horizontally and areconnected with the rods 42 and 43. By this arrangement, it will be notedthat the switch points 37 and 38 are effectively and securely connectedtogether and danger of accidental disconnection is effectively obviated.The extremities of the switch points 37 and 38 are provided with a rod46, the latter having its free extremity connected with the offsetmember 26 of the arm 22 provided by the switch lever 23. By thisarrangement it will be noted that as the lever 23 is rotated, the offsetarm 26 will cause the switch points 37 and 38 to be swung in unison wlththe frog rail 4, so that all of the members of the switch are operatedsimultaneously. The switch stand 24 has its upper plate 47 provided withsuitable depressions 48, arranged in proper spaced relation with eachother, and the oflset lever 23 has its extremity provided with the usualpivoted link 49, the latter being adapted to engage with the saidrecesses 48 when the switch points are in either of their positions, soas to prevent the accidental rotation of the arm 26 of the lever 23 andthe mechanism controlled thereby.

Each of the hinge members 39 and 40 are provided with curved earsadapted to be connected with each other through the medium of suitablepintles 51. One of the members 52 comprising the ears 39 and 40 isconnected with the webs of the siding rails 2, while the cooperating earis provided with a projecting portion whereby it is removably connectedwith the web of the switch point 37 or 38. The curved ear connected withthe hinge member 39 and what I term the outer switch point 37 isprovided with an arcuate slot 53 which is struck from the pivot point ofthe hinge member 40 connected with the inner switch point 38. By thisarrangement it will be noted that the said switch points are free tomove in unison, and that while rigidly connected together, the arcuateslot allows for the free movement of the inner switch point 37.Positioned between the ends of the siding rails 2 and the webs of themain rails 1, adjacent the hinges 39 and 40 are block members 54, one ofthe faces of each of the said blocks 54: being inclined to correspondwith the inclined side rails 2. By this arrangement, it will be notedthat the side rails are not only effectively sustained in spacedrelation with the main rails 1, but are also securely based by the saidblocks 54 so that danger of the springing of the ends of the side rails2 toward the main rails l is effectively prevented, while the hingemembers 39 and 40 prevent the springing of the said rail members 2 inthe opposite direction.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings it will be noted that I have provided an extremely simple andeffective device for the purpose intended, and while I have illustratedand described the preferred embodiment of the improvement, as it nowappears to me, minor details of construction, within the scope of thefollowing claims may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. Incombination with main rails and siding rails, the ends of said sidingrails being provided with curved ears, of switch points also providedwith curved ears, pivots for the ears, the ear of one of the switchpoints being provided with an arcuate slot engaging its pivot, means forconnecting the switch points together, and means for swinging the switchpoints.

2. In combination with main rails and siding rails, said siding railsbeing provided with curved ears, of switch points also provided withcurved ears, pivoted members for these cars, the ear of one of theswitch points being provided with an arcuate slot surrounding its pivot,blocks provided with inclined faces connecting the ends of the sidingrails with the main rails, means for adjustably securing the switchpoints together, and operating means for the switch points.

3. In combination with main rails and siding rails, of switch pointshingedly connected with the siding rails, a frog rail, said frog railhaving oppositely arranged ears, a pivot for the ear upon one side ofthe frog rail, the ear upon the opposite side of the frog rail beingprovided with a slot arranged concentric of the pivot, a pintle for thisslot, locking means connected with the frog rail, and means forsimultaneously swinging the switch points and frog rail and operatingthe locking means of the frog rail.

4. In combination with main rails and siding rails, switch pointshingedly con.- nected with the siding rails, adjustable rods connectingthe switch points, a frog rail for the main and siding rails, said frograil being centrally provided with oppositely ar ranged ears, a pivotfor one of these ears, the opposite ear being provided with an arcuateslot, a pintle engaging this slot, the ends of the main and switch railsadjacent the ends of the frog rail being provided with headed offsets,sliding latches upon the frog rail for these offsets, resilient membersfor the latches, flexible members connected with the latches, and meansconnected with the flexible members, the frog rail and the switch pointsfor operating the said members simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL E. RICHARDS.

Witnesses LoUIs CLAUs, CARL SALZMANN,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

